This year’s PIFF, celebrating its 15th anniversary, presents quite a few Japanese films whose directors have deep relationships with Pusan. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Lee Sang-il, introducing the powerfully titled [Villain], has built his career alongside the growth of PIFF. His first visit to PIFF dates back to the 4th PIFF in 1999. That year featured his graduation film from the Japan Academy of Moving Images, [Blue Chong], which went on to win 4 awards, including the Grand Prix at the 2000 PIA Film Festival. That success led to a chance to direct his very first feature film after the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) accepted its project proposal. His debut came with [Border Line] in 2002 (the 7th PIFF). [Hula Girls] (2006, the 11th PIFF), his fourth feature film, won him 5 awards including that of best film and best director at the 2007 Japan Academy Awards. Critical acclaim has been constant for Lee. From the mind of such a talented director, [Villain] is a film that depicts the “now” in a very noir fashion with far more improved, yet controlled, direction. So attractive was Yoshida Suichi′s source novel that Tsumabuki Satoshi was eager to take the role of the protagonist, a murderer, even before shooting began. With an enthusiastic performance by Fukatsu Eri as Mitsuyo, a woman who chooses to run away with a murderer, this film’s charm approaches documentary reality, demanding the audience question what true “love” is rather than who the true “villain” is. This is perhaps because the film never utters the word “love” despite touching upon some different kinds of it: that between parents and children, that of lovers for each other, that for grandchildren, and so on. (Shion YANG)